OOriginally from Bellegarde (Gard), Manuel Serment opened his cellar in 2013. He explains: “I wanted to create a friendly place, I developed a fairly substantial delicatessen section then a wine bar section. » At his side, Rémi and Jérémie, both trained sommeliers, as well as Brice provide daily sales, advice and entertainment.
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ALSO READ Champagne: a golden collective “Their experience in gourmet catering is a real asset, we are very complementary,” explains Manuel Serment. I studied biology, biochemistry and then business. I didn’t want to teach. When I was at Sup de Co, I told myself that if I had to do business, it would be in wine. It was a bit in the order of things, my father had vineyards, my family was in the wine business. I did some small training at the wine university in Suze-la-Rousse and I got started. »
What do you drink with an assortment of cheeses?
Obviously, the man carefully works out the pairings to be made with an assortment of cheeses. “For ten years, I have been working with a cheesemaker from the Halles de Lunel, who recently stopped. I decided to obtain supplies directly from Rungis and from the producers. We went from around forty references to almost 300 cheeses. I made it a specialty. We offer them to take away and, at the wine bar, they remain a classic for showcasing wines. We chose three cheeses: a Lozère goat’s cheese, from the La Belle Roche farm in Saint-André-de-Lancize, a Laguiole and a Larzac sheep’s tomme. »
The bottle for less than 10 euros
Mas Baudin, Fréjaou 2022, vin de France, €9.50.
“The risk with a red wine, with certain cheeses, is the tannins which can bring out bitterness. This vintage is made from the Syrah grape variety, a fresh wine, with fine, soft, delicate tannins. It goes very well with the slightly chalky texture of goat’s cheese, the fondant of sheep’s cheese and, through its fruity character, with the powerful taste of old laguiole. »
L’accord original
Filodivino, Matto 2021, verdicchio dei castelli di jesi, €22.
“We are developing foreign wines a little. When we talk about it, customers are interested. This Italian white wine is mineral and lively, with floral and white fruit notes. It has enough character to stand up to the power of the cheeses and its flavors blend very well with the aromas of the goat’s cheese and the sheep’s cheese. »
The wine merchant’s favorite
Domaine Mittnacht Frères, Esprit libre 2022, Alsace riesling, €19.50.
“This wine is made by young winegrowers who have taken over the family estate. It is a dry, mineral Riesling, with a characteristic touch of oil. The name of the vintage, Esprit libre, refers to its natural wine side, but it is very clean and the pairing is balanced, with a lot of freshness which lightens the fatty side of the cheeses. »
His philosophy:
“Since the beginning, I have put the wines of the region forward, but with a fairly broad vision: the Gard vineyards – with, of course, the Costières-de-Nîmes –, the Languedoc, the southern Rhône valley, the Alpilles . But we offer wines from all over France, without exception. Burgundy is always in high demand among wine lovers, we also have many wines from the Loire. I have set up a cellar of rare wines, with some of the wines that we age and sell when mature. For example, I really like wines from the Bandol appellation, I have bottles from the 1990s. In total, we offer around 1,000 wines and 200 spirits, in particular whiskeys which are again in high demand after having been a little overshadowed by the rums. We have regular customers who have specific requests, but many people are looking for advice, they follow us in our choices. »
In the proposition:
“I wanted to create a place with a warm atmosphere, the wine bar part brings that. During store opening hours, it is possible to have a drink accompanied by a platter of cold meats and cheeses or a plate of shellfish. All the wines from the cellar are available on site with a corkage fee of 10 euros and we offer wines by the glass which are constantly changing. Customers can also consume products from the delicatessen, tapenade, brandade, they must feel comfortable. »
“We regularly hold events on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. Either a course on a regional theme, a grape variety, a type of wine, or introductions to tasting. For four years, we have also had a distribution structure for professionals, from starred restaurants to breweries and, for individuals, we offer ”Wine Keeping”. Customers determine a monthly budget and we build up a cellar for them. »
To Discover
Kangaroo of the day
Answer
The Mediterranean Counter
Vaque-Haute Road
30127 Bellegarde
04 66 67 40 56
Schedules : Monday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
